Sunday, Jan. 08, 2012

Council tables concrete plant

Neighbors voice concerns

Some companies in Greenfield South Business Park aren't thrilled with the thought of having a concrete plant nearby.

Eagle Rock Concrete, a Knightdale company, wants to build a plant on nearly six acres in Greenfield, an industrial park near the intersection of U.S. 70 and Interstate 40.

But the developers of a Domino's Pizza distribution center in the park said they worry dust from the concrete plant could get into food. And Garner town leaders said they have also heard objections from Strategic Behavioral Health, which is building a treatment facility for youth in the area.

On Tuesday, the Garner Town Council decided to hold off on approving or denying plans for the concrete company until its 7 p.m. meeting Jan. 17. Council members said they wanted to give local business owners more time to learn about the project and give feedback.

Domino's officials are expected to look further into the issue, said Robert Montovani, who developed the company's site in Greenfield. "We do serve a product. It goes out to the public and that is our concern," he said.

Eagle Rock, a family-owned company, uses state-of-the-art technology that sucks up more than 99 percent of dust from concrete production, said owner Jay Loftin. "There is virtually no dust to be seen," he said. "We want to be good neighbors. We'll do everything we can to collect the dust."

Plans for the concrete plant include 84-foot silos and floodlights. Trees and shrubs would surround the property to serve as a buffer between its neighbors.

The town's planning board recommended the town council approve the plans. On Tuesday, some council members said they would likely vote in favor of the project.

"When I first looked at this, my first thought was, 'That doesn't seem like a logical place for a concrete plant,'" said Councilman Buck Kennedy. "But at the same time, that's an industrial area."

The concrete company's plans comply with the area's zoning rules. So denial of the project could open up the town to legal challenges, said Councilman Gra Singleton.

But council members said they wanted to hold off and hear from other business owners, although Loftin argued a delay would cost his company a lot of money.

A maximum of 15 trucks would make about three trips in and out of the plant each day, Loftin said. The trucks have extra axles to reduce wear and tear on roads, he added.

Ron Gibson, a partner in the Greenfield 40 Associates development group, said he was "completely satisfied" with plans for a concrete plant. The group has about 120 remaining acres to develop in the business park, he said.

But Tony Beasley, the town's economic-development director, said he thought the town needed to give the request more thought. "I do have some concerns ... mainly from a marketing perspective," he said.

Some town leaders also said they wanted to rethink how the town notifies businesses about public hearings for new developments. State rules say towns must advertise public hearings and notify adjacent property owners. But in big business parks like Greenfield, town leaders said, the town should probably notify more stakeholders.